Deep as the Ocean
by 177624601
Summary: Ripped from San Francisco and moved to Hawaii, Samantha Manson had never believed in mythical beasts. That is, until she moved to the town of Merman's Cove. AmethystOcean. Please R & R.
1. Merman's Cove

Ok, I'm officially joining the MerDanny bandwagon. I'd done some toying with the possibility of maybe entertaining the notion of an idea of writing one, but I just recently read one called "Oceano Profunda" by Feri-san (who's been feeling quite down lately (she's been doubting her excellent abilities as a writer), so I suggest you go and cheer her up), which inspired me to write this, particularly the fact that the merpeople speak in Esperanto. Merry Christmas!

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Sam waded through the warm blue water. She hated Hawaii. Sure, the floor show the night she'd arrived had been wonderful, it was beautiful there, and she lived on an island created by a volcano which lay extinct for many years, but she'd moved at a great cost. She'd grown up in San Francisco, and she'd known most of her friends her entire life. She could have walked Fisherman's Wharf blindfolded; she knew the city that well. She'd only moved to Hawaii because it meant a better life for her, her parents, and Grandma.

The town she lived in had been called Merman's Cove, thanks to local legends about some supposed Merpeople population nearby. It was said that if a woman sat out on the rocks at night, she'd hear someone vocalizing, beautiful yet indistinct. It was also said that she must never see the merman or she'd get lured under, never to be seen again. Sam scoffed at the idea, as was her custom when it came to myths and legends. She herself had walked along the rocks many times at night, and she'd never heard anything.

One thing Sam liked about Hawaii was walking the beach at night. If she lay on the beach long enough, it reminded her of a cottage her family owned on the California coast, a place she used to go one week every summer since she was a child. She enjoyed the smell of the sea breeze, the crash of the waves against the rocks, the call of the dolphins at sunset. Sam was laying on her favorite beach towel, gazing up at the navy blue sky, the moon like some huge dinner plate when she heard a voice drifting over the waves.

Enchanted by the pure, innocent, unadulterated beauty of it, she made her way to the rocks, huge and monstrous against the night sky. The voice was like nothing she'd ever heard, a high alto, yet extremely masculine at the same time, simultaneously soft and delicate, yet rich and bold. Had it been physical, there would have been a long, flowing ribbon of pure spun gold waving over the sea. Had there ever been anything that Sam would define as perfect, it was this mysterious, empowering yet humbling sound.

As she crawled over the rocks toward the angelic sound, she saw a sight she'd never expected to see. She had never believed the legends, yet here was an example, for on one of the rocks was a boy, hair dark as a winter night, back to her, gazing upwards at the moon, sitting sidesaddle, his long, bottle-green tail dangling in the water, lazily making circles as he sang his lonely melody that filled Sam with a deep melancholy. She couldn't help but gaze at him, a large sailfish fin running down his human spine before coming to a belt studded with the most beautiful emeralds Sam had ever seen. This wasn't the only piece of jewelry he owned, either. Around the base of his tailfin was a small metal band, as well as two bracelets studded with the same emeralds, and an arm bracelet, but the most stunning accessory he wore was a large and ornate amulet studded with even more emeralds. Sam, who had been inching closer to the edge subconsciously, lost her grip on the wet rocks, screaming as she fell and hit her head, knocking her out.

Sam came to with headache to a royal blue sky, the sun starting to peek over the horizon. Looking around, she saw that she was alone on the beach, save for a boy with black hair, blue eyes, jewelry not unlike the ornaments the merboy had been wearing, only an anklet around his right ankle. Sam blushed as she saw the boy who, aside from the accessories, was in full glory, and totally uninhibited about it.

"Bona, vi veki." Uttered the strange boy. 1

"What did you say?" Sam asked, bewildered.

"Vi scii, veki?" He said, imitating a stretch and a yawn. 2

"How did I get back here?" She wondered. Now it was the boy's turn to be bewildered. "How did I," Sam started, gesturing to herself, "get from there," she continued, pointing to the rocks, "back to here?" She finished, pointing downwards.

"Mi audi vi kriegi kiel vi faligi," he replied, holding his hand high, rapidly bringing it straight down, "tiel mi kapti vi kaj nagi reveni." He finished, moving his hand back and forth like a shark's tail. 3 "Donaco." He added, removing his necklace and presenting it to Sam. 4

"For me?" She asked, ponting to him , then to herself. Understanding her gestures, the boy nodded. "I can't accept this." She replied, pushing it away

"Preni gi. En mia kulturo, kiam regido trovi lia vera ami, li doni sin lia rega talismano." He remarked, pushing it back towards her. 5

"I have no idea what you said, but you seem pretty insistent. Thank you for the amulet." She stated, speaking the last part slowly so he understood.

"Ahm-you-late?"

"This thing." Sam added, pointing to the amulet.

Understanding, the merboy added, "Vi plej bonveno." 6

"Wait!" She yelled, grabbing his arm as he dashed for the shore. "What's your name?" Seeing his questioning expression, she added, "Me, Sam. You..?"

"Regido Daniel." He added before diving into the water. Through the crystal-clear water, Sam watched as his legs conjoined into one long fish tail, his enormous fin regrowing as four slits appeared on each side of his neck before he disappeared into the deep blue sea. 7

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1. "Good, you're awake."

2. "You know, awake?"

3. "I heard you scream as you fell, so I caught you and swam back here."

4. "A gift."

5. "Take it. In my culture, when a prince finds his true love, he gives her his royal amulet."

6. "You're most welcome."

7. "Prince Daniel."


	2. Good News, Bad News

A/N: The lines spoken in this chapter will be translated into English. I'd like to thank 2wingo for being my source of information when it comes to mermaids, BTW.

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Whooping and hooting, the young prince raced back to the city of Poseidon Volcanus, a statue of its namesake in the center of the town. He paused but a minute, as was tradition for the citizens, expected of the royal family; before darting through the streets once more, hollering as he loop-de-looped and barrel rolled home. Slowing his pace, he came to Poseidon's Deep, his family's home since the days of Poseidon himself, ancestor to all merfolk. It is even said that his daughter, the one who gave birth to the first mermaid may have been a full-blooded Goddess.

"Mother, father, I'm home!" Daniel announced as he swam into the throne room, his mother, Queen Madeleine and his father, Jonathan, High King of the seven seas. In the merpeople's world, there were four major cities: to the northeast, the once human city Atlantis, now known as Kraken Atlantica; her sister city Kraken Pacifica off the Chilean coast, Neptune Oceanus off the Great Barrier Reef, and Poseidon Volcanus, the capital of the undersea world.

"Where have you been?" The High King asked.

"And what happened to your Nautilium amulet?" The Queen added.

"I have given it to a girl."

"Oh? Who is this girl, and how did you meet her?"

"I was feeling lonely last night, as if my bed seemed larger and emptier than ever, so I went for a swim. Picking my favorite spot for when I'm in such a mood, I perched on a partially submerged rock and sang as I gazed at the moon. While I sang, I heard a girl scream. Dragging her unconscious body back to shore, I waited by her side until she woke, at which point I gave her the amulet and swam off."

"You traversed the open waters by yourself?!" Jonathan asked, enraged. "Have you been taught nothing? You know the open waters are dangerous enough for commoners, let alone a prince bound to rule the entire submarine world. The animals out there are dangerous enough. Do you not remember the Megalodon spotted off of Kraken Atlantica two weeks ago? Or the report last week of the Giant Squid near Neptune Oceanus? The open sea is a dangerous place. We're a powerful family, Daniel, and as such have made many enemies. Besides, Daniel, humans are greedy creatures. For all you know, one of them could have abducted and exhibited you merely for profit."

"Your Majesties," General Plasmius announced, appearing through the door, "I come with news from King Alexander of Kraken Pacifica."

"What is it, General?" Asked Queen Madeleine, regal as always.

"Sons of the Tigershark have been spotted near them, moving north."

"Towards us?"

"We think so." Daniel shuddered at the thought. He had heard of them, a race of barbarian merfolk from the Arctic Ocean, and they wanted nothing more than to overthrow his family and supplant them, replacing his father with a chief of their kind as they sentenced the reigning royal family to death. They've tried overthrowing the ruling family of Kraken Atlantica, one of the three lesser monarchies, multiple times, always to no avail. "I wonder if I might have a word with Daniel in private?"

"Very well." Replied her Majesty. "I have to go see Desiree and Nicolai anyway."

Escorting Daniel into the highest tower and onto a balcony overlooking the entire city. "Just look at her, Daniel. Poseidon Volcanus. And someday she'll be yours. Someday soon. Sooner than we'd hoped."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your father's dying, Daniel. He awoke this morning with an acute attack of vomit, so your mother and I escorted him to see the royal physician. It turns out he has Stingray flu."

Daniel knew what this meant: that his father was going to die a long, slow death over the next few months and there was nothing that could be done about it, the disease being incurable, Madeleine ruling as a regent until Daniel turned eighteen. "Does he know?"

"Yes." Plasmius replied, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Your father's a good merman, Daniel. There is no one I'd rather serve than him. I trust that when he's gone, you will rule as he did, wise and just, never impulsive."

All his young life, Daniel had regarded his uncle Plasmius as a friend and mentor, someone he could go to when his dad was too busy and he was scared or hurt or just wanted someone to talk to if he felt lonely, and Plasmius always had time and energy to play with the young Prince. Plasmius had trained him in how to deal with enemies in both battle and peacetime. Daniel loved Plasmius. To him, Plasmius was not just a friend, but his _best_ friend, a merman he could admire, but tonight, he saw Plasmius as something more. Tonight, Daniel saw a hero.


	3. Transformation

That evening, Daniel found it hard to sleep as he went over the day's events. Rescuing the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, only to find out about the threat of invasion from an enemy tribe, to his father dying, even though it wasn't for several months. As he gazed out over the balcony from his pillow, he drifted off into a sleep marred by fitful dreams involving many he knew and loved as merpeople, many of whom too hideous to be considered anything more than monsters, performed unspeakable acts on them.

"Good morning, mother, father." Daniel greeted them as he swam down to a breakfast of tuna the next morning. "Any word from Jasmine?"

"No." Replied his father.

"How can this be? We haven't heard from her since she arrived in Kraken Pacifica three weeks ago on that goodwill mission."

"Don't worry, Daniel, I'm sure your sister is fine." Affirmed the Queen.

"But-"

"No buts, Daniel, you heard your mother. We sent some of our best men with her."

"Oh, Daniel, we are to meet with Nicolai and Desiree today. You'll be getting your replacement amulet."

"Daniel, your father and I have something to tell you." Spoke Queen Madeleine as the royal coach made its way to the home of Nicholai, the royal metallurgist and jeweler.

"If it's about father's condition, I know."

"Your uncle told you, did he?"

"Yes, he did." The rest of trip was made in comfortable silence as Daniel stared blankly out the window next to him. In a few short years, all this was going to be his. As far as the eye can see and beyond. Ordinarily he would have been overjoyed, but now his innards felt like lead. _Better to not think about it._ He told himself. _It won't be for several years anyway._

"Ah, Daniel, good to see you again, your highness." A merman with long, white hair and an octopus body said as Daniel and his mother swam through the cave opening. "Good afternoon, your majesty." He added, addressing Madeleine.

"Good afternoon, Nicholai. You have the amulet I asked for, I trust?"

"Here it is, the royal amulet, crafted by me, Nicolai, royally appointed master craftsman of all things metallic!" He announced as he presented her with the amulet. If Nicolai had any faults, it was vanity. He was good, and he knew it.

"Good afternoon, your Majesty, your Highness. You have an amulet for me?" The shapely sorceress asked as mother and son appeared at her doorway. The Queen presented Desiree with the amulet, the stones in it as clear as crystal. "I see Daniel has found himself a girl. Tell me, Daniel, how is Sam, anyway?"

"Uh, fi-fine, I guess. I-I don't know, I've only seen her once."

Desiree chuckled, in spite of herself. "Sam's fine. I'm sorry, Daniel, I know how unsettling my powers are to you, I just couldn't help chuckling at your reaction." With that, Desiree took the amulet and uttered a few words before gently grabbing Daniel's wrist. "Don't worry," she told him, picking up a pin from a nearby counter, "This will only hurt for a second." Pricking his index finger, she pressed it to the center crystal, which glowed a brilliant green for a second before dimming into a brilliant shade of emerald, the others responding in kind.

"Thank you, Desiree." Queen Madeleine stated as she rose to leave. "Come, Daniel, let's-"

"Just a second, your Majesty. I was wondering if I might speak with young Daniel in private."

"Very well. Daniel, meet me in the coach when you're done."

"Desiree," he asked, "I've always wondered why you live in a cave."

"The bustle of the city clouds my inner vision, what with all the other thoughts flying around. It gives me a headache." She responded, her eel's tail forming a ribbon of S's behind her as she slid through the water, Daniel following her down a short corridor. "Daniel," she started as they entered a room lined with shelves, each of which was filled with bottles of all shapes, sizes and colors. The room was so high, the ceiling looked to be about the size of a postage stamp. Some bottles were so big, they had to be placed on the floor, and some were so small, you couldn't even fit one of Daniel's scales in them. In the center of the room was a large cauldron three feet high and six feet in diameter. "As you know, Daniel, there comes a time in every merperson's life when he or she must under go the Transformation. Some Transform as soon as their bodies are ready, some take years. Your mother has the ability to communicate with animals and attract them to her. When I Transformed, I received my powers. The Transformation is also how Clockwork received his, and so on. You, Daniel, you haven't, but your body's absolutely _ripe_ for it." Taking a ruby bottle just large enough for Daniel to easily slip his thumb through the neck down off one of the shelves about ten feet off the ground. Handing it to him, she added, "Your going to need this. Clockwork came to me this morning. He has seen the coming battle. Take this tonight before you go to sleep."

"What is it?" He asked, accepting the bottle.

"It's liquid Transformation. Ordinarily, the Transformation occurs naturally, but Clockwork said that your Transformation won't occur in time for the battle. This stimulates the body into producing the chemicals needed to undergo the Transformation."

"How will I know what my abilities are?"

"The dreams will tell you." She replied cryptically as she glided through the corridor. Without warning, Daniel almost bumped into her as she stopped. "They have Jasmine."

The whole palace was in an uproar that night over the princess' kidnapping at the hands of the Sons of the Tigershark as Daniel went to bed. Pulling his covers over him, he opened the bottle. "I hope this stuff tastes better than it smells." He said as he gave it a whiff. "Whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stronger." That in mind, he put the vial to his lips and guzzled the thick, oily liquid, which tasted strongly of shrimp and anglerfish.

That night as Daniel slept, he dreamed he saw himself, only it wasn't himself. His tail was black as the depths of the Marianas trench, his hair was as white as the ivory pillars of Kraken Atlantica, and his eyes glowed like the stone in his amulet had, that same royal green as seen all over Poseidon Volcanus. Without warning, the merboy started displaying powers both fearsome and wonderful at the same time, as beautiful and terrifying and untamable as the sea itself. Then, as the dream was ending, they merged.

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A/N: Just to clarify, Desiree can see what's going on now, not what will happen. The more drastic the event, the stronger she feels it. The reason why I used Technus' is first name is because water + technologybad bedfellows (the only reason why I used Clockwork's name is because he has no other name).


	4. The Emerald Amulet

Over the past several days, Sam had grown more and more curious to see the merboy Daniel. Judging by the trinkets he wore, he was someone rich, probably famous, perhaps even…dare she think it...royalty? Without so much as a second thought, Sam changed into her black two-piece, strapped on her mask, flippers, and oxygen tank, and dove into the picturesque ocean. It wasn't long before she saw a familiar face.

"What's up?" she asked as he swam across her faceplate.

"Kie estas la Talismano?" He asked, regarding her bare neck. 1

"What?"

"La talismano, kie estas gi?" Daniel asked, taking a cue from Sam's curious expression, this time drawing a finger from his left shoulder to his right one. 2

"I took it off," Sam replied, making like she was removing a necklace, "I was having trouble breathing." She finished, placing her hands on the side of her neck and moving them like gills. Without saying a word, Daniel pretended to scrub himself before pretending to place an amulet around his neck.

"Where'd that one come from?" Sam asked, pointing to the new amulet around his neck, identical to the old one.

"La anstataui. Sam, mi havi decida al vida via mondo car mia mem." He stated, gesturing to his head before pointing to the surface. 3

"Alright, but I want to experience yours, too." Sam replied, pointing to her eyes, head, and gesturing all around. Grabbing her wrist in a vice-like grip, he swam just fast enough so that she could catch up, even though his record speed was just shy of 10 ½ knots. As they swam, Sam marveled at the texture of his skin. Starting from the backs of his palms and going down his arms and either side of his dorsal fin, his skin looked like it was covered in thousands of long, white needle-shaped scales. Danny came to a halt as he felt Sam stroke the back of his arm with her free hand. Letting her go and gently pushing her aside, he puffed out his chest, a ridge of spines starting from his hands and going down the side of his back, erecting themselves, like a puffer fish before flattening them again and going on their way.

Another thing Sam noticed was the long, sharp teeth he had which showed as he grinned, giving him a rather sinister appearance. Something else Sam noted was that where there were no spines, the rest of the body was rock solid and if Sam looked closely, she could swear it was made of interlocking scales so small, the only way one could see them clearly would be under a microscope.

Finally, as the sun was setting, they rested on Danny's favorite rock. As the crimson sun dove into the ocean, Sam couldn't help but gaze at Daniel. Who was this merboy, so youthful, but so mysterious and stern at once? She watched as the sun's dying rays got caught in his hair so raven it was almost blue and danced in his eyes in much the same way the two of them had swam and played in the sea. Noticing his hand by her side, she let her hand descend on his, which he jerked away instantly. "Something the matter?" she asked, noticing the forlorn look on his face. A quick leap off the rock and a belly flop into the water before he darted away was his response, leaving Sam alone to wonder.

That evening, Sam drew herself a bath in her private bathroom. As she soaked in the Jacuzzi/bathtub, she went over the day's curious events in her mind before she remembered him asking her about the amulet. Looking over at the ornate grey, emerald studded necklace as it lay on the sink, she grabbed it, sitting back down in the tub before putting it on again. This time, though, instead of having trouble breathing, she couldn't breathe at all. Looking down, a most curious sight met her eyes as she felt her neck, which now had an odd tingling sensation that slowly spread over the rest of her body. _Gills._ Sam though as her knuckles rubbed against her throat. It was as she was drying off when she heard a familiar noise.

Daniel gazed at the moon as he sat sidesaddle on his favorite rock, moonlight glistening off his emerald tail. It was absolutely beautiful out. The sky was a navy blue. The wind whistled through the palm trees as some dolphins cavorted amongst the waves. Somewhere, a person taking a moonlight swim splashed as he or she dove into the water. With lightning speed, Daniels spines stood erect as something startled him by tugging on his tail. His fears were abated, however, when he turned to face his attacker. It was Sam, but not Sam. Where flesh had covered her, she was now covered in scales and spines. As she smiled, he no longer saw several perfect, pearly white rectangles, but now saw several perfect, pearly white fangs, and where her legs had been, there was the most elegant tail he'd ever seen on a mermaid. It was blue and purple with green spots down the sides, ending in a beautiful, exotic, pacific blue fin. He barely had time to react when she pushed him back, embracing her as she fell onto him. Wrapping her hands behind his head, she pulled him close as their lips met for the first time.

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1. "Where is the amulet?"

2. ""The amulet, where is it?"

3. "It's a replacement. Sam, I've decided to see your world for myself."

4. "Pardon me, miss, but can I help you?"

A/N: Daniel has always had those features described in this chapter, they're not part of the Transformation.


	5. Sleeping with the Enemy

Undetectable by friend or foe, two mermen swam through the placid waters, invisible to the naked eye, should he be spotted by some unfriendly creature. Silent as the grave, Daniel and Plasmius invisibly circled the silent enemy camp, Daniel's hand on Vlad's shoulder, all but a few enemy guards placed here and there while the others slept. The sight of the Sons of the Tigershark made the adolescent merman want to flee in terror, but he had to do this for Jasmine's sake.

Descended from the wicked mermaid Llyra, the Sons of the Tigershark, while not necessarily evil, are brutish, instinctive creatures, looking more like a cross between a crustacean and a fish rather than the more well-known man/fish. Most of them are unintelligent; however, once in a great while one will occur with a vast IQ. However, they believe great intelligence does not a great ruler make, made evident by the way they choose their new leader when their previous chief becomes unable to rule, which is to hold a no-holds-barred battle to the death of all possible candidates, the new ruler being the last one standing. They do, however, have two benevolent traits, one of which is kindness towards prisoners of war, and the other is the only trait they have in common with fellow merfolk: a love of music and singing, even though their voices leave something to be desired.

The two searched every tent until they came across one that had six guards circling it. Going intangible, they passed through the walls of shark leather to find a solitary girl sleeping in a rather comfortable looking bed in the middle of a rather well-decorated area, as opposed to the barest of necessities which the lad had been expecting. The girl in bed was a slender thing, her fiery hair covering the pillow and half of her face, the water coming from her gill causing the hair around it to flutter. As they descended, Daniel reverted back to his non ghostly self.

"Jasmine." Daniel whispered in her ear as he prodded her cheek. "Jasmine, wake up." He added, poking her harder in the shoulder.

"Daniel? What are you doing here?" She asked as her eyes fluttered open.

"General Pasmius and I came to rescue you."

"Thank you." She said as she wrapped him in an embrace. Placing her hands on Daniel's shoulders, she asked him, "It must have taken you weeks to get here, don't you think mother and father would have noticed you'd left by now?"

"The General said I'd be staying with him for a few days until my body gets accustomed to the Transformation."

"So it was a ruse."

"Well, it was, and it wasn't, since I did actually use the time to get acclimated to my powers." Daniel replied as blue transformed to green, green to black, and black to white. Grabbing the General and his sister, Daniel went intangible once more that night and sped homeward.

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A/N: Sorry it took so long to update and that the chapter's so short, I've been having some major writer's block with this!


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